Dedicated to All Better

Whether treating a toddler in an emergency or supporting a teen through chemotherapy treatments, we are dedicated to the care of each patient. It’s through teamwork at every level of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and with you, the family, that we are able to achieve excellence in pediatric care.

To make kids better today and healthier tomorrow

With a proven track record of providing world-class care to patients in more than 30 pediatric specialties, we are a model for other pediatric hospitals. Infants, teens and young adults belong in a children’s hospital where they can get specialized treatment from caregivers who know the important differences between children and adults.

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Seeking answers to challenging medical conditions

Research is a cornerstone of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta mission to enhance the lives of children. In conjunction with Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia Tech and Morehouse, Children’s seeks answers to the most challenging childhood medical conditions through teaching and research.

Getting Kids on a Healthy Track—Simplified

We all want happy, healthy kids. But as a busy parent, helping your kids eat well and stay active can be a challenge.

At Strong4Life, created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, our doctors, nutritionists and wellness experts create fun, easy ways to help your kids eat, move and live healthier. From picky eaters to passionate gamers, we have a slew of simple tips by experts who understand, because we’re parents, too.

Make a difference in children’s lives

As a not-for-profit organization, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta relies on the generous financial and volunteer support of our community. Your donations directly impact the lives of each family served by Children’s and support many initiatives such as clinical excellence, research, teaching, wellness and charity care.

Children's is also at the forefront of atypical HUS research, our physicians successfully provided a kidney transplant combined with an experimental drug therapy to treat the condition, only the third patient of this kind in the U.S.

Chronic Kidney Disease in Children Prospective Cohort Study(CKiD)
This is an observational study of children with chronic kidney disease. The primary goals of this study are to determine the risk factors for decline in kidney function and to define how a progressive decline in kidney function impacts neurocognitive function and behavior; the risk factors for cardiovascular disease; and growth failure and its associated morbidity.

Cerebro-renal disease: A morphometric study of the brains of pediatric patients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI MRI Study) This study, in collaboration with the radiology department at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, aims to identify regions of abnormal brain development in children with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) who would be diagnosed as normal using conventional MRI techniques.

Executive Function in Children with Hypertension Studies in young adults indicate that primary hypertension is associated with decreased performance on neurocognitive testing compared with normotensive controls, particularly in the domains of attention, working memory, and executive function. These cognitive deficits can improve in adults when hypertension is subsequently well-controlled, indicating that the neurocognitive deficits seen in hypertensives may represent an early manifestation of hypertensive target organ damage of the brain. The goal of the current proposal is to investigate the relationship between primary hypertension and executive function as an emerging target of hypertensive damage in children. The overall hypothesis is that children with primary hypertension have evidence for central nervous system target organ damage, as manifested by decreased executive function.

Novel Therapies for Resistant FSGS: Phase II Clinical Trial (FONT II) A significant percentage of patients with primary FSGS are resistant to corticosteroids and other immunosuppressive medications. In view of the rising incidence of this disease and the grim prognosis for patients with resistant disease, it is imperative that new therapeutic approaches be evaluated in an efficient and systematic manner. This project will test whether rosiglitazone, adalimumab,and/or galactose can safely reduce proteinuria (abnormal amounts of protein in the urine) and protect kidney function better than standard treatment for patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).

Recruitment status: on-going, not recruiting patients

Sponsor: National Institutes of Health (NIH)-National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK)

Clinical Trials in Transplantation in Children (Protocol CTOTC-02):Immune Development in Pediatric Transplantation (IMPACT)
Transplantation is the preferred method of treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in children. Over the past forty years, the use of newer immunosuppressive drugs has decreased the risk for organ rejection considerably and improved short-term outcomes. However, these costly and complicated life-long treatment regimens also cause serious side effects. This has been particularly true for children, who undergo treatment with these drugs at the same time they are transitioning, physically and emotionally, from childhood to adulthood. These factors lead to significantly reduced life-spans, decreased drug regimen adherence and an increased need for re-transplantation, as compared with adults.

Current immunosuppressive procedures and strategies for children mimic those for adults, despite the difference between the two populations' immune systems and needs. New strategies aimed at tailoring to an individual child's needs would both reduce the risk of complications and improve outcomes. The purpose of this study is to generate information that will help to change the current practice of pediatric transplantation into one that is more individualized and preventative.

Recruitment status: on-going, not recruiting patients

Sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Immune Monitoring and Assay Development in Kidney Transplant Recipients Currently, a kidney biopsy is the only way to determine whether a patient with a kidney transplant has rejection of their kidney. The goals of this study are to develop and study urine and blood tests that can determine if a patient is rejecting a transplanted kidney. This will hopefully decrease the need to perform kidney biopsies and allow for earlier diagnosis of rejection.

International Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Network StudyThe International Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Network (IPPN) was created to register and collect data regarding pediatric patients receiving peritoneal dialysis. The purpose of this study is to continuously monitor outcomes in children around the world that are on PD. This registry should provide much needed information to doctors, nurses, dieticians, psychologists, social workers, and health care administrators, and help improve the wellbeing of children currently on PD.

A Molecular Pathogenesis-Driven Approach for Diagnosis and Treatment of Complement-Based Renal Diseases (KidCOM) The purpose of this research is to build a registry of patients with aHUS and MPGN. MPGN is a rare disease that can cause problems with how the kidney filters blood and waste. Currently, little is known about how to treat MPGN. There are three different types of MPGN; MPGN I, MPGN II/Dense Deposit Disease (MPGN II/DDD), and MPGN III. Although we will look at all types of MPGN, we are focused on MPGN II/DDD because it is most closely linked to the immune system.

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) is another rare immune disease that affects blood supply to the kidneys, and impairs their function. There are two types of HUS; typical HUS, and atypical HUS. Typical HUS, which is usually diagnosed in childhood, is due to a bacterial infection in the stomach and intestines.Atypical HUS (aHUS) is a hereditary disease that is associated with recurrent episodes.

Recruitment status: open to enrollment

Collaborators: Dr. Christoph Licht at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Dr. William Smoyer at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Dr. Patrick Brophy at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa.

Sponsors: Foundation for Children with Atypical HUS, and Optherion, Inc.

Safety and Pharmocokinetics of Lisinopril in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients (Lisinopril PK Study)While limited PK data on lisinopril in children with essential hypertension are available, no data exist on lisinopril PK in pediatric renal transplant recipients. Given the kidney is the primaryroute of elimination of lisinopril, its clearance is highly influenced by GFR and this relationship may be impacted by the presence of a single transplanted kidney. For example, the impact of lisinopril on glomerular hemodynamics and GFR may be greater in pediatric transplant recipients and may be related to differences in PK. Additionally, because lisinopril may interact with other drugs, it is unclear if the available pediatric PK data applies to children with a kidney transplant who are prescribed a varying number of immunosuppressive medications whose dosage require frequent adjustment. Therefore, lisinopril PK in this population may differ from otherwise healthy children with essential hypertension and the renal transplant patient population may require specific dose adjustments according to age, weight, gender, level of GFR, or concomitant medications.

Recruitment status: open to enrollment

Sponsor: The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Genotype as a Predictor of Mycophenolate Mofetil Related Toxicity in Pediatric Transplant Recipients (MPA-GAS)The purpose of this research study is to find out whether small differences in a person’s genes contribute to their risk of developing side effects such as low white blood cell counts while taking mycophenolate mofetil (MMF or CellCept®). Eligible participants have received a kidney transplant and have been treated with mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept®) as part of their immune suppression regimen. This study looks at minor gene variations both in patients who have had a specific side effect while taking CellCept and in those who have not had that side effect while taking this medication.

Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE)
The purpose of this study is to find markers of Nephrotic Syndrome (kidney disease with too much protein in the urine). We are particularly interested in diseases called Focal and Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), Minimal Change Disease (MCD), and Membranous Nephropathy (MN). By collecting health information and laboratory samples, our goal is to learn more about these kidney diseases and find better ways to prevent and treat people with these kidney diseases.

Recruitment status: open to enrollment

Sponsor: National Institutes of Health (NIH)-National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK)

Validation of PROMIS Pediatric Banks with Incident Nephrotic Syndrome (PROMIS NS)Childhood onset nephrotic syndrome is a condition which affects the kidneys causing them to leak protein from the blood into the urine. Nephrotic syndrome is a disease that can improve (remission) and worsen (relapse) at different times throughout childhood. The purpose of this study is to measure how patients feel when they have active nephrotic syndrome and also when they are in remission.

Single Dose Pharmacokinetic (Part I) This research study involves the use of Paricalcitol (Zemplar®) capsules, an active form of vitamin D.Zemplar® is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention and treatment of hyperparathyroidism associated with chronic kidney disease.The Zemplar® capsule is currently approved for use in adult patients (18 years or older). This study is going to evaluate the use of paricalcitol capsules in a pediatric population (ages 10-16 years) to safely and effectively decrease parathyroid levels along with evaluating the pediatric subjects absorption and metabolism of the study drug.

Recruitment status: open to enrollment

24-Week Safety and Efficacy (Part II)This research study involves the use of Paricalcitol (Zemplar®) capsules, an active form of vitamin D.Zemplar® is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention and treatment of hyperparathyroidism associated with chronic kidney disease.The Zemplar® capsule is currently approved is for use in adult patients (18 years or older). This study is going to evaluate the use of Paricalcitol capsules in a pediatric population (ages 10-16 years) to safely and effectively decrease parathyroid levels.